Ernest Hemingway was a very talented writer of short stories. He is even thought by many to be better at writing short stories than at writing his novels. He portrays the philosophy of existentialism. A philosophy that is centered upon the analysis of existence and of the way man finds himself existing in the world. He combines this with a code that Hemingway expects his characters to adhere to. They are, a person must be responsible for their actions, a near death experience is probably as closes to the truth as a person can come, above all else courage, if there is no god, than man"s fate is in his own hands, and man must always be active.

             The first code, a person must be responsible for his actions, is shown in his short stories, "the Battler" and "The Killers". In "The Battler", Nick Adams gets beaten down into a deformed lonely man because he chouses to fight and continue to fight. This quote from "The Battler" shows that Nick is in bad shape. "(Nick) was dead looking in the firelight" (Hemingway 131). In the short story, "The Killers" this code again is portrayed. Ole Anderson, a character in "The Killers", did something wrong earlier in his life and he will now pay for it with his life because there are killers out to get him. As this quote shows Ole Anderson knows he will now die, "There isn"t anything I can do about it." (Hemingway 287).

             The second code, a near death experience is probably as closes to the truth as a person can come, is shown in the short story "Soldiers Home". In "Soldiers Home", Harold Karps grows up in an Oklahoma, God-loving society and then goes to war. When he comes home he has the will to live. This quote represents Harold, just sitting around waiting to die,"(like) bacon fat hardening on his plate" (Hemingway 151).

             Hemingway"s third code, above all else courage, is shown in Hemingway"s short story, "The Undefeated". In "The Undefeated", Manuel, even at his age, shows courage and defeats the bull.